Chapter 10
I could feel a burning gaze. My back felt so prickly it was as if it might catch fire.
Between the leaves, a hint of golden hair peeked out, glittering as it caught the sunlight.
If the water spirits hadn’t whispered to me, I never would have noticed.
They kept pointing out Tirier’s presence, and it made me uneasy.
Is Tirier really that athletic?
He was hiding high up in a tree, secretly watching me.
What is he doing like that? More importantly, that’s dangerous.
I couldn’t bring myself to turn around, so I put a cookie into my mouth instead.
Crunch, crunch.
The only sound was the cookie breaking between my teeth.
Marie told me that she had asked the maid attending Tirier to request a visit on my behalf, but the request had been refused.
Hmm. Hmmmm.
This is bothering me!
In the end, I set the cookie down.
If he had something to say, he could just come over and say it. Watching me in secret like that made me uncomfortable. I ended up just gulping down my drink, and Marie approached me.
“Lady Ariel, are the cookies not to your liking?”
“Huh? They’re delicious.”
“You look as though you’re chewing sand, so I thought…”
“Marie, do you eat sand too?!”
“Pardon?”
Goodness. Do humans eat sand?
Even I don’t eat sand—it tastes awful.
Just imagining that gritty feeling in my mouth made me shudder.
“Oh my, I’ve never eaten sand. That was just an expression.”
“Ahh!”
Since sand tastes bad, of course one’s expression would be unpleasant.
I nodded, finally understanding what Marie meant.
“Marie.”
“Yes, Lady Ariel?”
“You said Tirier refused my visit request, right?”
“They said it would be difficult for him to meet anyone. I heard he’s feeling much better today, though… shall I try asking again?”
“Hmmm.”
At this rate, I felt like the cookie would get stuck in my throat. Holding the cookie in my hand, I suddenly sprang to my feet.
“Lady Ariel?”
“If he refuses my invitation, then I’ll invite myself.”
I strode straight toward the tree.
[Ariel, Tirier is hiding here.]
The water spirits were swirling around the tree, their giggling laughter echoing above my head. I lifted my gaze and looked up at Tirier, who was sitting on a branch.
“Tirier?”
“…!”
Startled, Tirier jerked and dropped the book he’d been holding. At the same time, he lost his balance and toppled backward.
He reached out to grab the branch, but his body fell faster.
“No!”
I immediately stretched out my hand and formed a droplet of water. My body floated up and then landed on the ground.
“Hup!”
Boing.
Thankfully, the water droplet caught Tirier as he fell.
Lying sprawled on the ground, I let out a sigh of relief.
Ouch. Still, thank goodness.
“Phew…”
The water bubble enveloping Tirier slowly drifted down.
Marie, who had screamed, rushed over in a panic.
Trapped inside the bubble, Tirier stared with wide, rabbit-like eyes.
“Lady Ariel! Lord Tirier!”
I got up, brushed the dirt off my skirt, and approached Tirier, who was still frozen in shock.
I poked the water bubble with my finger. Pop. The membrane around him disappeared.
I bent down to meet his eyes.
“Tirier, are you okay?”
Tirier stared silently at the hand I offered him.
…Hmph.
I grabbed his hand first, trying to pull him up.
Thud.
“Oof.”
There was no way I could lift him with my strength alone.
Even if he looked frail, he must eat well.
I wiped my forehead and sent Marie, who had just arrived, a pleading look.
“Tirier is too heavy. Ariel can’t lift him. Please help.”
Only then did Tirier come to his senses and spring to his feet.
“H-How did you know—! And more importantly, that was dangerous!”
“Exactly. Why were you up in a tree like that? It’s dangerous.”
Clutching his chest, Tirier panted for breath.
“If it weren’t for me, you would’ve been badly hurt. If you fall from there, you might not die, but you’d be in a lot of pain.”
Which meant I’d already protected Tirier once.
Puffing out my chest proudly, I lifted my chin and grinned at him.
“See? I really do have to protect you.”
Tirier’s face turned red.
Huh? I heard he was feeling better today.
I reached out and placed my hand on his forehead.
“Tirier, your face is hot. Do you have a fever?”
“F-Fever? Don’t be ridiculous…!”
“It really feels like you do.”
He lightly pushed my hand away, then turned around sharply, covering his face with one hand.
“Shall we go?”
“My book’s dirty now. What am I supposed to do staying here?”
He brushed off the book that had fallen to the ground and picked it up. For some reason, seeing the book in his hands made me feel empty.
“Ah! My cookie!”
The cookie I’d brought for Tirier wasn’t in my hand anymore.
I looked around and spotted it on the ground.
“…The cookie is dead.”
Tirier, who had started walking away, stopped and turned back to look at me.
Seeing me drooping with my head bowed, he let out a deep sigh.
“Marie, bring this guest more cookies.”
He frowned slightly as he spoke to her.
“I’m not a guest. I’m going to keep staying here until I finish what I promised the Archduke, until I grow up.”
“…Even so, you’re not my little sister.”
“Huh? I don’t want to be your little sister either.”
“What? Why not?”
“Because I protect you. I’m not a little sister—I’m going to be your guardian.”
“…Guardian.”
“The cookies are fine. There are lots of cookie friends over there. Tirier, do you want to eat cookies with me?”
“I don’t eat things like that. They’re for little kids.”
“If you eat cookies, you’re a little kid? The Archduke eats them too…”
The Archduke… a little kid?
I couldn’t imagine it. Seeing my distorted expression, Tirier hurriedly said,
“N-No, Father is an exception! Even adults crave sweet things sometimes.”
“He had them piled up next to him… and Tirier, you’re a kid too.”
Even six-year-olds are kids.
I tilted my head at his words.
He was two spans taller than me, but compared to Kishan, he was still small. And refusing delicious cookies just to act grown-up…
“Oh! Ohhh! Tirier must not be feeling well. You should go inside and rest!”
Sick children need to rest. Eat well, sleep well, rest well—that’s how you get better. I must have been clinging to him without realizing it.
“No!”
“It’s okay. I understand.”
“I said no!”
Tirier snapped.
I waved my hand as if it were fine and smiled brightly at him.
Insisting it wasn’t so only meant he’d been found out. I’d done the same before, so I understood how he felt.
There’s nothing shameful about being weak.
“Alright. I’ll pretend I didn’t notice.”
That much mercy was easy enough.
“Your Grace. What should we do?”
“It seems Tirier has taken an interest in the little one.”
Despite Alber’s question, Archduke Elphias remained impassive.
He didn’t take his eyes off the window.
He’d thought she would tire and fall away on her own, yet she was surprisingly persistent.
“Lady Biphi also mentioned that Lady Ariel’s presence seems to be having a positive influence on Lord Tirier.”
“We’ll have to watch and see.”
Archduke Elphias observed the two of them bickering.
“The archducal residence is going to get noisy.”
“Since the Archduchess passed away, it’s been a long time since there was so much laughter. She truly does seem like a guardian.”
A guardian, huh…
When Tirier fell from the tree, his heart had jolted—but Ariel had immediately used her power to save him.
The Archduke let out a quiet sigh of relief. Then, seeing Tirier’s face flush as he stormed off first, he chuckled.
Looks like he took a direct hit.
He turned away from the window.
“It would be fortunate if only the residence became noisy. The outside is already just as loud.”
The land the little one had pointed out truly seemed blessed by the gods. Starting with a gold mine, every piece of land he purchased afterward doubled in value.
More importantly, it was thanks to Duke Victoire’s movements that Ariel’s identity as the daughter of the Sea God had become certain.
The man, who normally had no dealings with them, suddenly came to the archducal residence in person. If it were merely because contact with his planted spies had been cut off, he would have sent someone else—his personal visit was suspicious.
Was he growing desperate over the Mermaid’s Tear he so desperately wanted?
“It’s already been over an hour.”
“There’s no need to excuse the rudeness of someone who arrived without notice.”
Knock, knock, knock.
“Your Grace… you should go at once.”
Kishan rushed in, his face filled with unease.
“What is it?”
“Lady Ariel has encountered the uninvited guest on her way back.”
